Give Us A Chance
by dwennie
Summary: Jules wants to give her relationship with Sam another shot, no matter the cost. But things are never that simple... T for slight language. Jules/Sam, who else? COMPLETE
1. Decisions

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, damn it all. The song mentioned is Don't Look Back In Anger by Oasis. No, I don't own them either :(**

**A/N: I plan on making this a series. I have no idea how much longer it's going to be, though. Slight language. R & R.**

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* * *

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She knows it's too late as she's walking on by...

The lyrics taunted Jules; they assaulted her conscience while she drove home after a long day at work. The seemingly innocent song had an uncanny link to her love life – or lack thereof. It had been months since she'd ended things with Sam – _she'd_ ended things – and she still couldn't move on. Not that Sam seemed to have the same problem.

She cursed under her breath as the song launched into its final chorus.

_But don't look back in anger_

_Don't look back in anger_

_I heard you say_

_At least not today..._

Pulling into her driveway, Jules killed the engine, closed her eyes, and pressed the back of her head to the headrest.

However, sitting there twiddling her thumbs wasn't going to do anything. She needed to decide something, and soon. If she was going to make her move on Sam, it'd have to be soon. Before everything they'd had was a distant, hazy memory.

Losing Lou had opened her eyes. It had opened her eyes to how short life really was, and she was determined to spend the rest of her life in happiness. She was well on her way, but she lacked one key thing.

She was still in love.

In love with Sam, to be precise. While she was, she couldn't be happy. God knows she had tried.

_Pull yourself together, Jules,_ she told herself sternly as she got out of her jeep. It was time to get some much needed sleep. She would think more about the issue in the morning.

In no time at all, she was out like a light. But all her dreams were of him.

* * *

She arrived at work 10 minutes early the next day, a coffee in one hand and a bagel in the other. Nodding a quick greeting to her Sarge, she made her way to the women's locker room.

Leah hadn't arrived yet. Jules took advantage of the emptiness to ponder her current situation some more. Over her breakfast smoothie, she had ultimately decided that she would take the plunge. It was progress, but she had no idea how she was going to start this.

After not-so-careful consideration, Jules decided that she might as well start by repairing the holes in their friendship. That was definitely a starting point.

Moderately pleased with her one-on-one time with her brain, Jules quickly changed into her work clothes and made her way down to the briefing room.

On her way, she passed a very tired-looking Sam. In an attempt to strike up conversation, she greeted him, "Hey Sam. Looks like you need to drink more coffee in the morning."

She was hoping for a friendly response, or maybe even a joke like old times.

"Nah. Late night," he responded coolly before stalking off.

Jules stared after him, her eyes like saucers. Damned men. This was going to take longer than she'd thought.

She was interrupted from her mental slew of curses by a passing Wordy, "Jules? You coming?"

Realizing she was still rooted to the spot, Jules tore her eyes away from where Sam had been and smiled at Wordy.

"Of course."

"Team one, gear up. Hot call," Winnie's voice rang through the station.

She chuckled before jumping into action.

* * *

Jules sighed as she settled herself around the briefing room table. It had been a long day. A distraught father had held a classroom hostage when he found out his son was being viciously bullied all year. Luckily, the Sarge had managed to talk the man down and the bullies were apprehended for assault. Jules had been very thankful – she had been Sierra 1 and she had not wanted to take that shot. It had been close, too close for comfort.

"Good work today, team," said Greg happily, clapping his hands together.

Small smiles and nods were exchanged around the table. Jules tried to catch Sam's eye, but to no avail. He seemed to be deliberately avoiding her. It was high time for a talk, she decided ruefully.

"Well, it's late enough already, so we'll debrief tomorrow. Get out of here and get some sleep."

Jules decided to talk to Sam tonight. Scurrying to her locker room, Jules changed as fast as she could, nearly crashing into Leah on her way out.

"Oh, sorry-"

"No problem," Leah grinned, "big plans for tonight?"

Mumbling something incoherent, Jules fled the room, leaving a confused Leah in her wake.

She was just in time to catch up to a departing Sam.

"Hey, Sam."

"Jules," he responded. His voice was warmer than before, but it was still disconcertingly frosty.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go for a drink, or coffee or something."

"Uh..." Sam glanced around nervously.

"Look, I just need to talk to you."

"Alright then. I can't do tonight, so does tomorrow work for you?"

"Sure. See you," she waved as he left. Well, it could have been worse, right?

Jules drove home, pondering what she was going to say all the way.

* * *

The next day passed without major incident. True to his words, the team debriefed first thing in the morning and spent the rest of the morning alternately training or working out. After changing into her street clothes at the end of the day, Jules murmured a quick farewell to the rest of the team before meeting Sam by her car.

"Where do you want to go?" she asked.

"Well, you said you needed to talk, so how about we just go back to my place and grab a beer."

Jules nodded her agreement. "Sure."

_So far so good,_ she thought to herself. The car ride was quiet; each was lost in their thoughts.

A few peaceful minutes later, they had arrived at Sam's place. Still in silence, they made their way to his kitchen, where Sam grabbed two beers and passed one to Jules.

"Thanks."

"So, what's up? You said you needed to talk."

""Well," started Jules carefully, "ever since we broke up, things haven't been –"

"Since you _dumped_ me, I think you mean," snapped Sam icily.

"Sam -"

"Since we're going to talk, _Jules_, you might as well get the facts straight."

Jules stared, her mouth slightly open. This was going downhill – fast. She was going to have to do some quick thinking to resolve this.

"I don't want to talk if you're going to be like this." Whoops, that could have been better.

"Oh, so you want to _talk_, but only on your terms. Well here's a thought for your tiny brain to process: I don't give a –"

"You're not being fair," she whispered sadly.

"_You're not being fair_," he mimicked cruelly.

It was too much. Before she could control herself, she was on her feet and shouting. "_What the hell is your problem, anyways?! I just wanted to –_"

"_Talk, yeah! You know what? You don't care about _me, _you don't care about the _team,_ you only care about yourself!_" he seethed, eyes blazing.

His harsh words struck Jules like daggers. In a voice so calm it shocked even her, Jules spat in icy fury, "So _that's_ how it is. You know what? I was going to _apologize_, ask to start over. As _friends._ Now? I don't think so."

She swept past Sam, who seemed to have just realized what he had said. The anger was gone from his eyes, replaced by sorrow.

"Jules, I'm sorry –"

But he was cut off by the front door slamming. Jules stormed to her car and drove off, fighting the tears that threatened to spill over at any second.

* * *

**What's up with Sam? All will be explained :)**

**Now how about hitting that shiny button? -waggles eyebrows- **

**TBC...**


	2. Distractions

**Disclaimer: Still own nothing, damn. I don't even own the DVDs :(**

**So, here's chapter 2. Chapter 3 is en route. R&R por favor :)**

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Luckily for Jules, the next day was Saturday, and they had the day off. She didn't want to face Sam anytime soon. Of course, as soon as she had arrived home after the big blowout, she had 3 messages on her cell phone and 2 more on her home phone. The drive home wasn't even that long. She had deleted them without listening to any. She hadn't been in the mood for any more crap.

Jules woke up close to midday, and it took her a few minutes to remember why she was so upset. Far too soon, however, her memories from the previous night's "talk" with Sam cam crashing down. It was almost enough to make her want to sleep until Monday.

Rebelling against her body's wishes, Jules pushed herself out of bed and made her way to the shower. She would go out, she decided, and get some more paint or something else for her renovations. Maybe she would even hit the bar later.

While making herself a quick bite for lunch, Jules wearily went over the events in her head, hoping to pick up on something she'd missed earlier. She came up empty, but she wasn't going to give up yet, no matter how much she wanted to remove Sam's liver through his nose at the moment.

Stowing these depressing thoughts to the back of her mind, Jules drove to the nearest Home Depot. She picked up some more Santorini Sky and some thinner. As an afterthought, she grabbed some white paint too. Maybe she'd have time to work on the trims.

Checking her watch, Jules was surprised to realize that it was already 5. She supposed that time flies when you're looking at Do-It-Yourself displays at Home Depot. It was time to go for dinner and a quick drink.

After a quick stop at home where she dumped her purchases unceremoniously on the floor, Jules took the bus to the bar closest to her house. She wasn't planning on getting drunk, but better safe than sorry. Once there, Jules feasted on chicken, mashed potatoes, and a salad. She had never understood the girls who ate half a salad and nothing else. No one should live like a rabbit.

Soon enough, Jules was seated at the bar, clutching a half full bottle of beer and feeling pretty grumpy. Who did Sam think he was, anyways? She still loved him, but she wasn't giving him another chance anytime soon. She was jerked out of her reverie by a very male voice.

"Can I get you a refill?" the stranger asked smoothly, giving her a wink.

Jules eyed the man curiously while she contemplated her options. If she accepted, she could ultimately end up in a good relationship and forget all about Sam. Not very likely. Or, she could end up making Sam jealous. Oh hell, she was turning into a lovesick teenager. Unfortunately, that was the kind of effect Sam had on her.

"Sure, why not?" Jules smiled brightly at the man, hiding her conflicting emotions with trained ease.

"I'm Ryan, by the way."

"Jules."

"Nice to meet you," he grinned, settling in beside, her.

"You too, Ryan," Jules said, eyeing Ryan with interest. He was certainly handsome, he had short, dark hair, dark brown eyes, and he looked as though he was pretty fit. At about 6'1", he towered over her. He just – wasn't Sam. It looked as though she would have to aim for option 2 – make Sam jealous. Bloody hell...

The bartender handed them two fresh bottles of beer. Cracking his open, Ryan asked her, "So, Jules, what do you do?"

Jules grinned. This question was always fun to discuss. "I'm a sniper with the Police Strategic Response Unit."

Ryan laughed. He had a nice laugh, just not as nice as Sam's. Damn man, as hard as she tried, she couldn't get him out of her head.

"Really? That's awesome. I'm a personal trainer at Fitness World, so I guess you could kick my ass whenever you wanted?"

She couldn't help it, she laughed. Her blackberry conveniently chose this time to start ringing. "Sorry, I might have to take this."

"No problem. Duty calls, I guess."

Jules flashed him a grateful smile before checking her caller I.D. Sam. The timing couldn't have been better.

Flipping it open, she asked, "Hello?"

"_Jules? It's Sam –_"

"Hey Sam, is there a problem?"

"_Uh... well not a _work _problem, but I wanted to say –_"

"Um, now's not really a good time, I'm in the middle of something."

"_Oh, what's that?_"

"None of your business. I'll see you at work on Monday, okay?"

"_Jules –_"

"Great. See you. Bye," she hung up the phone, a warm sense of accomplishment filling her insides. The ball was rolling on her plan.

"Is Sam a guy from work?"

"Yeah, otherwise I would have ignored him," she laughed, checking her watch. Ten thirty. She should head out soon.

"Look, Ryan, I had a great time, but I should be heading home soon. I've got lots to do tomorrow."

"Sure thing. Want to do this again sometime?"

"Yeah, I'd like that."

Jules and Ryan swapped numbers, and Jules made her way to the bus stop. On her way, Jules pondered the situation she'd gotten herself into. She might as well give Ryan a real chance; he seemed like a nice guy. And if she still couldn't get her mind off Sam, well, she'd cross that bridge when she came to it. At that moment, the absurdity of her thoughts hit her. She was Jules Callaghan, notorious with relationships. She never took them seriously enough. Now here she was, scheming to win Sam's heart. It was a strange turn of events, to say the least.

Jules shook the strangeness away. She wanted to live her life happily ever after, and if that meant finding a way to make things work with Sam, then she was going to find a way to do it, damn it!

The bus pulled up to the bus stop, and Jules hopped on, lost in thought. A short 10 minutes later, the bus had reached her stop. With a distracted "Thanks," Jules walked the rest of the way home. Tomorrow, she was going to get some renovations done. The thought put a smile on her face.

**TBC**

* * *

If it's not one, it's the other...


	3. Revelations

**Disclaimer: Do I have to say it again? -pouts-**

**Hooray, part 3 is up! Part 4 is in the works, and will hopefully be up soon :)**

**Thanks for reading, and to everyone who has reviewed: Lots of love! Keep 'em coming!**

* * *

Sunday was relaxing and relatively pleasant for Jules. She was still mad as hell, yes, but working on her renovations helped calm her. Jules vented her frustrations in the garden; she spent the better part of the morning pulling out weeds and cutting grass. In the afternoon, she spent her time painting and priming.

Monday morning came a little too quickly for her. Even so, she drove herself to work early, determined to avoid Sam.

Entering her locker room, she was greeted by Leah, "Morning. Busy weekend?"

"About the usual. I might have met someone though...."

"Oh yeah? Who?" she asked interestedly.

"This guy named Ryan. He's sweet, and pretty good-looking too."

"Oh, well good for you. Hey, if you don't mind me asking, what's going on with you and Sam? The team's been talking about how you guys haven't been the same since you broke up..."

Jules paused, her work shirt half on. Pulling it down with a quick tug, she answered Leah cautiously, "What we had was nice, but it was a long time ago. I ended it to come back to the team after I was shot."

"But you still have feeling for him."

"No," Jules tried to lie.

"Nice try. Let me guess, this _Ryan_ character is to make Sam jealous?"

Jules briefly considered trying to lie again, but considering what had happened the last time, she decided against it. "Fine, he is. Pretty lame, eh? But don't tell anyone, I don't know what I'm going to do about the team yet."

Leah winked, "All's fair in love and war. Don't worry about it – besides, they'd rather see you together than not speaking, so I wouldn't worry about the team."

"Really?" asked Jules, surprised.

"Yeah, especially Spike. And Sam definitely still loves you. The Sarge was just saying how much of a mess everything between you was."

Jules was dumbfounded. That didn't sound like the Team One she knew and loved, but she was sure Leah wouldn't lie.

"Oh, well that's food for thought."

Leah laughed quietly and took her leave. "See you out there."

Mulling these new developments over in her mind, Jules finished changing and left the empty room, nearly getting flattened by Ed on her way to the weight room.

"Careful, Callaghan!" he quipped, eyes twinkling.

"What? Oh, sorry Ed," she sighed. She was going to have to learn to watch where she was going while thinking about Sam. Jules reached the weight room without further incidents, and she sat down on the weighted bike next to Spike, who was using the bench press.

"Hey Spike."

"Hey Jules," grunted Spike, red faced.

Jules turned her attention to Ed, who was lamenting some incident involving Clark.

"– so he comes home, an hour after curfew, mind you, and he's drunk as hell! He's lucky he lives within walking distance from the guy!

"Poor kid," laughed Greg, "did you give him an earful, Eddie?"

"Poor kid is right," gasped Wordy, "I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that one."

The team shared a laugh at Ed's expense.

"Ha ha, very funny," Ed rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Not yet, actually. Last night he was too drunk, and this morning he was pretty hung over. He'll be getting it in the evening."

"First hangovers are the worst," chortled Sam.

"Amen to that," agreed Spike.

"So, what are you going to do about it?"

"Well, Mr. Wordsworth, I was thinking of grounding him. Or not letting him go to any more parties, I'm going to talk to Soph about it tonight."

At this moment, Jules' phone beeped twice, signalling an incoming text message. Taking a quick break from the bicycle, she grabbed her Blackberry and saw that she'd gotten a new message from Ryan. She opened it and read:

_Dinner tonight? Call me later._

_-Ryan :)_

She couldn't stop a small smile from spreading over her delicate features. Unfortunately for her, or maybe fortunately – she'd have to think about that one – Spike noticed her expression.

Before she could so much as blink, Spike had grabbed her phone and was reading the message. Jules made a half-hearted attempt to snatch the phone back, but she was unsuccessful. When Spike had finished, he let out a great bark of laughter and pulled himself into a standing position onto the bench press, arms spread wide. Uh-oh, she was doomed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please?"

Bemused, Ed and Wordy stopped discussing punishments. Greg stopped running. Sam and Leah broke off their conversation. Curious, they each gave Spike their attention.

"Thank you. I have in my hand Jules' cell phone. And what should I see but this text message. It says: Dinner tonight? Call me later. Ryan, followed by a smiley face. So Jules, do you have anything to say about this _Ryan_?"

Jules rolled her eyes, a slight blush creeping up her neck and into her face. "Only that it's none of your business," she said, poking Spike in the chest and reclaiming her phone.

Spike held up his hands in a mixture of defeat and sheepish apology. It seemed that Ed, Greg, and Wordy weren't planning on giving up so easily, however.

Wordy was the first to voice his thoughts. "Aww, is our little Jules growing up?" he teased, eyes full of mischief.

Then Greg put in his two cents. "When do we get to meet him, Jules? We can't let just _anyone_ date little Jules. He's got to have something to bring to the table."

Ed sealed their doom with his comment. "He puts one toe out of line, bring him here. We'll teach him a lesson!"

The three men shared a hearty guffaw before Jules silenced them with her signature shut-up-if-you-want-to-keep-your-body-parts-in-the-right-place look.

Greg sobered up at the speed of light. Checking his watch, he remarked, "It's just about noon, anyways team, so let's take our lunch break now."

"Copy that," several voices responded enthusiastically, and Team One left the weight room to go to their respective lockers.

Jules and Leah were the only two to notice the look of jealousy, disappointment and frustration that flashed briefly across Sam's face. Maybe Spike's little joke would work in her favour after all...

In the women's locker room, Leah accosted Jules. Grinning, she asked, "Did you see Sam's face?"

"Yeah," began Jules, "So what happens now?"

"Now, you agree to Ryan's idea, and if anyone asks tomorrow, the date was great. Even if you end up dropping him on his ass."

"Have you done this before?" Jules asked in mock accusation.

Leah looked up sheepishly, "Maybe in high school._ Maybe_."

"Well, as long as one of us knows what they're doing."

Leah chuckled merrily while Jules tapped out a text to Ryan. It read:

_Sounds good. Pick me up at 7:30?_

Jules smirked in satisfaction. For once, it looked like things were going her way.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Yeah, the phone scene was somewhat inspired by Attention Shoppers, you smart cookies...**


	4. Night's Musings

**Updates will probably come slower now, I'm no longer sick so I have about 1/8 the amount of time I used to have for writing, my apologies. I'm doing my best, I'm a busy girl! ;)**

**Many thanks to my reviewers, every single one is much appreciated :)**

* * *

Sam slammed his apartment door shut with murderous force. His mood had been severely decreased ever since a certain incident in the weight room earlier that day at work. So what is Jules was seeing someone else? So what if he had ruined his only chance at fixing things with Jules? So what if... oh, who the hell was he trying to kid?

Truth be told, he wasn't even close to getting over Jules. He wasn't likely to forgive himself for snapping at her that day. He had a shrewd suspicion why he had, though. He was used to getting what he wanted with girls; never bothering to get too close or to fall in love. But with Jules, everything had changed. For the first time in his life, Sam Braddock had fallen in love.

Then, as soon as it had started, the best thing that had ever happened to him had been over. He still loved Jules, but the rules said he couldn't. Naturally, since Jules had ended it, things between them had become very forced, and Sam had reacted to some of Jules' harsh words badly. Lashing out that night had been his unconscious way of protecting his true emotions.

Now, it just seemed really, _really_ stupid.

Sam groaned in frustration. It seemed as though he managed to screw up everything good that had ever happened to him. But this time, he was going to fix things. He would just have to bide his time.

* * *

Jules flopped down on her bed, exhausting after working out all day and enduring a terrible date with Ryan.

Well, the date itself had been fine, it was only Ryan that was the problem. At 7:30 sharp, Ryan had picked her up at her house, and they had gone to Island Foods for dinner. That had been nice, but once they had been seated and ordered, things had starting heading south.

Jules had tried to make small talk, but everything she said he had somehow managed to relate to a long ass story about how _generous_ he was, or how he'd played the big _hero_, among other things. Jules had nodded and smiled politely, but inside her sanity was silently screaming for freedom. It was then that she had decided to end things with Ryan as soon as she could. Not in the restaurant, but after he gave her a ride home. It's not like the rest of the team was going to find out anytime soon. Like Leah had said, she'd say it was great. Maybe some made-up details would help.

Jules sighed into her pillow. At least her plan to avoid Sam had been a success. Whatever he had wanted to tell her, it could wait. Knowing how stubborn she was, it would probably wait almost indefinitely. As her jumbled thoughts drifted aimlessly around her head, memories of her date drifted unbidden to the front of her mind.

_Jules payed the bill – Ryan had "forgotten" his wallet. Jules wasn't sure whether or not to believe him. That definitely wasn't a good sign. It was time to cut this one loose._

_They left the restaurant quietly and made their way to Ryan's car. He drove a Honda Element, not her style. She'd always thought they were boxy and ugly. But that was neither here nor there, she was going to dump him anyways. He was _not_ worth wasting anymore of her time._

_In the car, Ryan had tried to make more small talk, but she hadn't been very responsive._

"_So, I had a good time," he said, a small grin playing on his lips._

"_Mhm," Jules replied absently. She wasn't in the mood for anymore of this, she was way too tired to listen to more stories glorifying Ryan._

"_The wine was pretty good, too."_

"_Yeah, I guess," she replied, not really listening._

_Ryan tried one more time, "Your chicken parmesan looked really tasty, too. Was it as good as it looked?"_

_Jules nodded, her mind a million miles away, "Yeah, it was."_

_He finally seemed to realize that something wasn't copasetic. Concerned, he asked, "Is everything all right?"_

_Jules briefly considered how to answer that. She could be honest and say he was a narcissistic jackass who bored the pants off her, or she could say she wasn't over a past relationship yet and... oh, that was still honest._

"_I'm sorry, but being here with you has made me realize that I'm still not over my ex," she said bluntly. She wasn't in the mood for and more fun and games._

_Ryan looked at her, an odd look in his eyes. Pulling into her driveway, he said, "I'm sorry to hear that. We can still be friends, though."_

_Jules cocked an eyebrow, confused. Wasn't it usually the dumper that said that, not the dumpee?_

_Deciding the thoughts weren't worth her time, Jules replied without conviction, "Sure."_

_Ryan was silent for a few minutes. Finally, he said quietly, "I'll see you around?"_

"_We'll see," Jules responded, somewhat coolly. She honestly had no plans whatsoever to waste anymore time with the idiot, but she didn't have to be so cruel as to say that. If he called, she would just be "busy"._

"_Bye," Ryan called out, while Jules hopped out of his Honda._

_Jules feigned deafness and strode to her door without a backwards glance._

Now, lying on her bed with her face pressed into her pillow, Jules was pretty much drained. It was hard to believe someone that appeared one way at first could end up being the complete opposite. In Ryan's case, he had seemed sweet and caring at first, but in reality he was a narcissistic, self-absorbed jerk. And at first Sam had appeared cocky and self-indulgent, but he was insecure and scared of commitments in reality.

Wait a minute, what was that?

She had never thought about Sam that way before, but everything was falling into place now. The way Sam had reacted to learning how to negotiate was a prime example; he wasn't used to not being the best at something. He was used to hiding his emotions, but to relate to a subject he had to. Doing so made him feel vulnerable. All of a sudden, another thought hit Jules like lightning. When she and Sam had tried a clandestine relationship, it had taken Sam time to commit himself to it. At the time, Jules hadn't understood why; he was the one who had started it anyways. However, now things were starting to make sense.

Maybe _that_ was why Sam had snapped earlier. Maybe when Jules had ended things, she had left Sam feeling vulnerable and exposed. Maybe he had snapped to hide that from her – yes, it was all making sense now! Now that she understood, she was much closer to finding a way to breach the gap in their friendship. She would work on that at work tomorrow.

It looked like she'd forgiven Sam sooner than she thought she would.

* * *

**TBC**

**Virtual cookies to anyone who can catch the little Corner Gas references! There's 2, but they're pretty small so catching either one is worth a virtual cookie! Good luck!**


	5. Forgiveness

**Well, apparently no one watches Corner Gas :( The cookie offer still stands for anyone awesome enough to watch the show!**

**Either way, without further ado, please enjoy chapter 5.**

* * *

Sam arrived at work a little earlier than usual, determined to talk to Jules before their shift started. However, as soon as he arrived, he saw Jules already waiting outside, looking nervous. It was clear that she was waiting for someone.

Making his way over, he swallowed nervously. Considering how he'd treated her of late, he would consider himself lucky if he could even get around to apologizing. Opening his mouth to speak, he was surprised when Jules beat him to the punch.

"Sam?"

She looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"Hey Jules. Look –"

"Sam, wait. Can I say something first?"

Sam stopped short, weighing his options. It couldn't hurt, could it?

"Yeah, sure. Go ahead," he consented. Had she been waiting for _him_? This was a certainly unexpected development.

Jules bit her lip nervously, her eyes darting around the parking lot. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I'm sorry I've been avoiding you. I _am_ willing to start over as friends, after all."

Sam chuckled, he felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. "That's funny, I was going to apologize for acting so immature recently."

Jules visibly relaxed, and her brown eyes lit up as she laughed, too. Sam could hardly keep from staring, it was such a beautiful sight.

"Well apology accepted. Friends?" she asked cheerfully, holding out her hand.

"Yours too. Yeah, friends," Sam replied, shaking her hand. Finally, something was going right.

Together, they strolled amicably into the station, each of them happier than they had been in a long time. It was Jules who broke the silence.

"You know, I missed this. More than I was willing to admit," she admitted softly, a pretty blush appearing slowly on her cheeks.

"Me too," Sam replied honestly. Jules had been a best friend as well as a love interest, and it was nice to have at least one of those back. "How was your date?" he asked, desperately hoping his voice was casual.

Jules smiled brightly, "Great! We went to Island Foods, I had a good time."

Sam tried in vain to stomp down the jealousy that was climbing up. He noticed that Jules looked as though she was keeping something to herself, but he wisely decided to let it go.

"That's great," he said, forcing his mouth into a huge grin. He looked rather ridiculous. "Do we ever get to meet him?"

Jules burst out laughing, causing Winnie to stop midsentence and give her a questioning look. Jules shook her head, tears of mirth beginning to form in her eyes. Winnie turned back to the laptop, a knowing grin on her face.

Disconcerted, Sam asked Jules cautiously, "What's so funny?"

"Your face... looks like... clown... freaky," Jules managed to choke out between fits of hysterical giggles.

Sam tried to give her a stern glare, but failed miserably. She was just too damn cute.

"I was _just_ trying to be supportive," he groused jokingly.

"Whatever you say," she called over her shoulder as she entered the locker room she shared with Leah.

_Women's Locker Room_

Jules entered the locker room, a bounce in her stride that hadn't been present in a long time.

Leah looked up and smirked as she saw her. "Good date?"

"Terrible, actually," Jules replied cheerfully, "he turned out to be a narcissistic jerk."

"Right... so why're you in such a good mood then?" asked Leah, clearly confused.

"Oh, well Sam and I made up. It's a step forward, at least."

Leah shot her a sunny smile. "Congrats! That's great! But since when were you fighting?"

"Oh, we've been off for a while now," she murmured vaguely, rummaging through her locker.

"Huh."

They left the locker room together and went to the briefing room in silence.

Greg spoke up, "Now that the ladies have decided to join us, let's get started. Next week is the annual all-SRU training competition, so until we get a call we'll be practising the exercises that we might be participating in."

"Training for training?" Leah whispered to Jules incredulously.

"The Boss gets pretty competitive."

"It's because the winning team's Sargeant doesn't get thrown into the pool at the after party," Spike informed them conspiratorially.

"Correct, Mr. Scarlatti! Now last year, I had the unfortunate luck of being tossed into the pool fully clothed. This year, I fully expect a Team One victory, just like the year before last," Greg sent a stern look around the table.

"We've got it this year, Boss," Ed stated calmly. "Isn't that right, Wordy?"

"What?" yelped Wordy indignantly.

"You know what."

Wordy rolled his eyes in despair, "Okay, that guy was a monster. A monster with a black belt!"

Sam roared with laughter. "Come on, Wordy. Even Jules could take him down."

"Which guy?" Jules asked.

"O'Connell, from Team Two."

"Oh, that's right," she chuckled, "I did."

"Either way, Wordy will do better this year, isn't that right?"

Wordy rolled his eyes in resignation. "Yes, Mr. Lane, I will."

"Excellent."

"Leah's got no idea what she's in for," chuckled Spike.

"Don't you worry, I'll make the team proud."

"Alright, enough chit-chat! Let's get going, everyone on the range in 10," Greg half-yelled over the conversation, effectively bringing everyone back to the present.

* * *

Sam left the locker room showers, sighing contentedly. Nothing like training for training all day to put the soul at ease. After changing back into his street clothes, Sam left the locker room, only to run into Greg, Ed, Jules, Wordy and Spike. They seemed to be in a very engaging conversation.

"- you're sure? That's all you got for us?" Ed was saying, clearly pushing someone for details.

"I said it was great and I'm seeing him again on the weekend. What more is there to tell?" Jules sighed, somewhat exasperated. Apparently this argument had been visited before.

"Well, where'd you go?" piped up Spike.

"Island Foods," she answered resignedly.

"Oooh, swanky. Yeah, I like it!" Wordy added.

"What car did he drive?" Greg questioned.

Jules did a double take as Sam passed them.

"What does that have to do with anything?" yelped Jules.

That was the last thing Sam could make out before he left. Waving in response to Spike's "See you Samtastic!" Sam left the station, not nearly as cheerful as he had been upon entering it.

Putting on his helmet, Sam pedaled away from the station. It sounded as though Jules had had a great date that night, and Sam couldn't help but feel a little upset because of that. There was nothing like watching the one you love be happy with someone else. At least they were friends again, he thought sourly. Only time would eventually tell how their sordid story would end.

* * *

**TBC**

**Reviews are motivation! :)**


	6. Trouble Abroad

**Voici chapitre 6!**

**Don't worry, diehard Sam/Jules shippers. They will resolve their problems soon enough :)**

**Read, review, enjoy!**

* * *

A month and a half passed quickly and without much note-worthy activity.

On one hand, Team One performed exceptionally at the training competition, successfully reclaiming their title as champion from a disgruntled Team Two. Greg was thrilled, getting to watch all the other Sargeants get soaked was a rare joy. Each and every member of Team One pulled their weight, with the exception of Ed. He managed to trip over his own feet during the obstacle course, which nearly cost the team the entire contest. Much to his dismay, Ed was going to be the butt of many jokes until the next year.

In other news, things between Sam and Jules were back to normal. At least, as normal as two people trying to hide their love for one another could be. Team One was starting to piece itself back together. It was starting to feel like a family again.

With renewed confidence, the team handled the few calls they received with diligence and empathy. In most cases, force was not necessary, and there had been no fatalities yet.

As the weeks crept by, Jules still hadn't told the team that things between her and Ryan were over. While she hadn't explicitly said that they were dating, her snappy retorts to any questions about her love life lead the team to believe that she and Ryan were together. This wasn't lost on Sam. What hadn't been lost on Jules was that Sam never asked her about Ryan, and whenever he heard his name he got a rather sour look on his face. At this point, Jules was certain from her observations and Leah's careful snooping that Sam was jealous. Now, the only thing left to do was to tell Sam the truth about Ryan and her feelings for him.

It was a morning early in December, and Team One was being briefed for a bust that was planned for that day. Everyone was hoping that things would go according to plan; it was a Friday after all. The entire team was looking forward to a nice, relaxing weekend off.

"Team One, gear up. Hot call. Shots fired at the Auction House. Two male subjects armed with handguns, three casualties."

"Well, so much for the bust," Greg told the team. "Team Four will cover that, let's go."

It seemed that Toronto had other plans for Team One that day. In no time at all, the cavalry had piled into their Suburbans and with screaming sirens, they sped through the city to the Auction House.

As they arrived, Greg addressed the team through the radio. "Spike, you're my second. Wordy, Sam, Jules you'll be Alpha. Ed, Leah, Bravo. Let's find out what we're dealing with and keep the peace."

"Copy," they responded.

"Winnie, do we have an I.D. for either subject?"

"Not yet, but the description is two males, midthirties, 6'1" to 6'3". We're waiting on facial recognition to spit out a match," Winnie informed them crisply, tapping away at the computers.

Greg paced anxiously around the vehicles. "Let us know when you have names for us."

"Copy that."

"Okay team, let's handle this with maximum caution. The subjects are armed and volatile, but they've been inactive for 14 minutes. Alpha, Bravo, you'll clear the building and get the civilians out safely. The first responders will cover the exits. We're flying blind, so let's play it safe."

"Copy that. Alpha, take west. We'll take east," Ed barked with authority.

"On it," called Wordy.

Ed, Jules, Leah, Sam and Wordy entered cautiously through the main door. Most of the civilians were already out, but since the doors of various rooms around the building didn't lock, they still had a few rooms left to clear. The only thing they had in preparation was a photo of the subjects from the security feed.

"We've got I.D's on our subjects," Winnie's voice rang though the radio. "Andrew Thompson is the first one, he's 35 and he's got no priors. The other one is Randy Thompson, his younger brother. He's 32, and he's got a bunch of priors. He's got a sealed juvie record, and a few shorts stays in prison for assault and disorderly conduct. Nothing on this scale, though."

"That's great, Winnie, thanks," Greg stated, relieved to be getting somewhere. "Do they have any family? We need to know what might have pushed them to this extreme."

"First floor west clear," Sam informed Greg. "We're heading to the second level now, no sign of the subjects."

Wordy and Jules followed Sam in a tight formation up the stairs, always on the lookout for trouble.

"First floor clear, the civilians are out," Ed added. "We're heading up."

"Copy that," said Greg.

"Got it," Winnie exclaimed. "Sending unis to their mother's address now. Her name's Annie Thompson, she's 62."

"Awesome, Winnie," Ed said calmly.

Back in the command truck, Spike was going over the security footage from the incident from the time of the incident. Spotting an interesting turn of events, he called Greg over.

"Hey Boss, I think I've got something."

Greg was there in an instant. "What is it, Spike?"

"Well, here's when our subjects enter the second floor auction room, and you can tell Andrew doesn't really want to be there, his body language gives him away. Do you think that Randy might have dragged him into it?" Spike asked, his brow furrowing in concentration.

Greg watched the clip carefully, then nodded. "I think you're right, nice catch Spike. Do we have a current location?"

"Negative," Spike replied while clicking through the screens. "There are only a few cameras, and they're not positioned well enough to see the halls. Only a few rooms have visuals."

Greg ran a hand over his bald head in frustration. "Okay, good work Spike. Did you get that, team?"

"Got it," responded Ed and Wordy simultaneously.

"Alpha team, the subjects were last seen near your current location," Spike informed them crisply, his fingers flying over the keyboard and his eyes scanning the screen frantically.

"Copy that," Sam said.

As Sam, Jules and Wordy rounded the first corner on the second floor, they were suddenly aware of the sounds of footsteps. Wordy put a finger to his lips and, guns held aloft, they peered around the bend and saw Randy Thompson pacing relentlessly in the hall. Counting down from three with his fingers, Wordy prepared Sam and Jules to confront the subject.

"Subject located, preparing to make contact," Jules breathed into the headset.

"Copy that, go in aggressive," Greg told them.

Jules, Sam and Wordy leapt around the corner, guns drawn.

"Police! Don't move!" yelled Jules.

"Show us your hands!" shouted Sam and Wordy, advancing menacingly.

Hearing their angry voices, Randy bolted around the corner into another room.

"Randy's running, we're in pursuit," gasped Wordy, hot on his heels.

As they burst into the room that was deserted except for themselves and Randy, a shot rang out through the air. Less than a second later, two more shots hit Randy square in the chest, and he dropped to the floor.

"Team status?" Greg demanded anxiously.

"Subject down," Wordy spat furiously, lifting his fingers from Randy's lifeless neck.

It was Sam's panicking voice that nearly stopped Team One's hearts.

"Officer down! Jules is down, we need a medic _right now!_"

Jules was sprawled on the ground, barely conscious. Blood was seeping out of a wound in her gut. Sam was trying in vain to stop the bleeding, sheer panic and déjà vu flashing though his head.

Randy's sole shot had hit Jules; it had cut right through her Kevlar vest.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Betcha saw that coming...**


	7. Confession

**Chapter 6. Enjoy!**

* * *

Team One sat around the hospital waiting room, their blank stares, red eyes, and pale faces saying more than words ever could.

Only Sam stood, pacing relentlessly around the room, anxious for news. They had finished the call without difficulty, but the damage had been done.

Once Annie Thompson had arrived on the scene, she had tearfully confirmed Spike's suspicions. Since childhood, the more violent and less controlled Randy had always been dragging Andrew into sticky situations. This time, the Auction House had been selling the car that had been Randy's before the bank had taken it from him. Desperate to get it back, Randy had convinced his older brother to go with him to the Auction House and reclaim it. Randy had been the only one to fire a gun.

Soon after Jules had been whisked off to the hospital, the Bravo Team had found Andrew. The stand-off had been brief. Upon hearing his brother's fate, any fight had left Andrew, and he allowed himself to be taken away without a struggle.

Team One had raced to the hospital with blaring sirens while Sam and Wordy were being investigated by the SIU. As soon as they had been cleared, they had rushed to the hospital, anxiously awaiting news.

It was Greg who first broke the silence. "Should we call her boyfriend? That Ryan guy?"

"No," Leah quickly interjected, earning her some glances of partial interest.

"Why not, Leah?" Ed asked, the words coming out harsher than he had intended.

Leah blushed slightly, not wanting to betray her friend's plan. She decided to tell a partial truth.

"They broke up, about a week ago," she said softly.

Sam looked up and stopped pacing, surprised. Spike voiced his thoughts for him. "She didn't say anything to us," he spoke up for the first time, his voice scratchy from lack of use.

Leah had an easy answer for that one. "We're girls, we talk about things guys don't," she spoke apologetically.

Satisfied with Leah's reasoning, Team One lapsed back into a brooding and impatient silence. Sam resumed pacing anxiously, two thoughts whirling through his brain.

_What the hell is taking them so long?_ was the first one, and the rest of the team had similar thoughts permeating their minds. The second one, however, was of a more personal matter. _I love her, I can't be without her any longer. She broke up with Ryan, what's there to lose?_

It was at this time that Sam decided he would tell Jules how he felt. If she rejected him, at least he would have come clean. If she was willing to take the plunge, then he was going to hold her the way he'd wanted to for so long. And he wasn't sure he would ever be able to let go.

It seemed like an eternity later when a doctor finally entered the waiting room. As one, Team One rose to their feet, desperate for any information on Jules' condition.

Seeing the anxious group before him, the doctor glanced up from his clipboard, looking sombre. "You're with Julianna Callaghan?"

Greg was the one who spoke on behalf of the team. Unable to completely hide the panicky tremor in his voice, he replied, "That's right. Is she okay?"

Team One watched the doctor carefully, studying his body language for any clue on their beloved teammate's condition. There was a thick silence as they waited with baited breath for the doctor's report.

"Thankfully, the bullet missed Julianna's major organs. She's lost a lot of blood; the bullet nicked an artery, but we were able to stabilize her."

Upon hearing this news, Spike sank down on his chair, his hands over his face in relief. Ed exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Leah closed her eyes, silently thanking God for keeping Jules safe. Greg ran his hand over his head, finally calmed. Wordy's rabbitty breaths slowly regulated themselves. Sam's heart rate slowed from "catastrophe" to almost normal.

"So she's okay?" Sam clarified, voicing the team's hopes cautiously.

"We won't know for sure until she wakes up," the doctor said, with the air of someone who was choosing their words very carefully. "But as of right now, I don't see why she wouldn't make a full recovery with time."

"When can we see her?" asked Ed, his voice nearly cracking with emotion.

The doctor cracked his first real smile of the conversation. "You can go up right now if you'd like. She's on the fourth floor, room 421. She's in the ICU, but I expect her to be moved tomorrow. She's lucky to have such great friends," the doctor said, smiling with approval at the group.

"Family," Spike corrected quietly, the rest of the team nodding their confirmation.

The doctor looked slightly confused, but he seemed to decide to let the issue drop. He quietly lead Team One to Jules' room. Silently excusing himself, he left them some privacy.

* * *

Jules reluctantly left the warm embrace of her dream behind. Now that it was gone, she couldn't remember the details, but she knew it had to do with her and Sam. It had been a good dream, too. Now, all she was aware of was engulfing blackness and the muffled sound of voices. Confused, Jules strained her muddled mind around for an explanation.

Slowly, painfully slowly, the memories drifted back to her. Reaching the gunshot and finding nothing past that point, her somewhat-less-fuzzy mind reached the conclusion that she must have been shot.

Again.

So this was a hospital, then.

It took almost all her effort to bring herself back to the present and focus on the voices around her.

" – I think I saw her move," was the first thing she could make out. It took her sluggish brain far too long to identify the voice as Wordy's.

"Shh!" someone hissed. She thought it might be Ed.

She tried to force her eyes open, but it surpassed her current abilities. She was close, though, she could tell.

"Jules, sweetheart? Can you hear us?" that was the Boss, this _was_ getting easier.

"Jules?" questioned a voice to her left. There was no mistaking _that _voice, and with a great struggle she managed to crack her eyes open and blink up at Sam's worried expression.

Seeing her eyes open, Sam's face instantly light up with relief and happiness. "Jules? How are you feeling?"

Blinking against the harsh lights, Jules opened her mouth, trying to clear the fuzzy feeling from her pounding head. "This is a hospital bed," she said, sounding more than a little dim.

"Those must be some damn good drugs," Spike tried to lighten the mood with a joke. Good old Spike....

Ed laughed cautiously, eyeing Jules with concern. Shooting a less-effective-than-usual glare at him, Jules shifted herself into a more comfortable position, ignoring the sharp pain in her abdomen.

"You were shot, Jules," Sam eyed her anxiously, trying to gage her reaction to the news.

"No shit, Sherlock," Jules chuckled. The buzz was still there, but being conscious was helping her think more clearly.

"Still as sarcastic as ever," Leah spoke up from the corner.

The team laughed, finally able to breathe properly. It had been a long day.

"You should get some rest, Jules," Greg said affectionately. "We'll come visit again in the morning."

Jules nodded tiredly, not having enough energy to protest. Slowly, murmuring soft goodbyes, Team One filed out of the small, bare room. Soon, only Sam and Jules were left in the room.

"Sam, you should get some sleep," she said gently. "You look like hell."

He flicked his gaze around the room anxiously before pulling up a chair on her left side. She felt as though her heart had stopped, but the monitors on her right said otherwise.

"I need to tell you something," he blurted out.

"Okay, well spit it out, I'm tired," she urged, hoping she would like what he had to say.

Sam shut his eyes for a moment, like he was steeling himself for something. Jules recognized the signs.

Taking a deep breath, he said, "I'm still in love with you, Jules."

**TBC**

* * *

Reviews are love :)


	8. Help From Leah

**Note: The last chapter was supposed to say Chapter 7, not 6. I was running late. Just in case you noticed :P**

**Many thanks for all the reviews! I love you all, keep 'em coming! :)**

* * *

She felt as though time had stopped. Had he really just said that? He _loved_ her? She had fantasized about a moment like this for so long, granted she hadn't been shot in them. But now that the moment had come, her carefully planned responses had been completely forgotten.

"Wh-what?" she stuttered. God, she wished she could have said something a _little_ more intelligent. Apparently painkillers and shock didn't mix.

Sam looked like he wanted to be anywhere but where he was. "I still love you, Jules. I want to give our relationship another chance," he muttered miserably, eyes downcast.

Jules' heart swelled like a balloon. "You love me?" she asked hoarsely, begging silently for confirmation.

Sam swallowed uneasily. "That's right."

She felt like she could fly. A huge grin spreading over her face, she replied, "Oh, Sam. I've been waiting for this for so long. I still love you, too."

He buried his face in his hands, and Jules could hear the muffled sound of laughter coming from between his fingers.

"You couldn't have said that right away?" he demanded shakily. "I thought you were going to kill me right there."

Jules furrowed her brow, a mischievous grin on her face. "You surprised me, I'm on about five different painkillers, and I'm tired. What did you expect?" she laughed, feeling lighter than ever despite the fact that she had been shot.

Sam leaned forward, and Jules had to suppress a violent shiver when she felt his hot breath tickle her face. "You're terrible, you know that?" he whispered, his voice low before placing a gentle kiss on her lips.

She smiled contentedly. "Mhm," she whispered, eyes closed.

He watched her fondly for a few minutes before saying softly, "Get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night Sam," she murmured, her voice barely audible.

"Good night Jules," he breathed before leaving the hospital room and closing the door behind him.

Jules smiled as she drifted off to sleep. Sure, they would have to find a way around work tomorrow, but right now life was good. Within moments, the drugs in her system had done their job and she was fast asleep. Her dreams that night weren't clearly defined, but they brought a smile to her face nonetheless.

* * *

Leah was jerked out of a much needed good night sleep by her cheerfully beeping cell phone. Glancing at her alarm clock, she saw it read 6:30 am. Great. Whoever was on the other end of the line had better have a damn good reason for waking her up so early on a Saturday. Grabbing her far too cheerful cell phone, she saw that the caller was Sam. Curious, since they weren't on shift.

Either way, she flipped the accursed device open and groaned, "What do you want, Sam?" Except it sounded more like "Whadayawa, Sah?"

"_Leah?"_ asked Sam's confused and clearly wide awake voice. _"Is that you?"_

Making more of an effort to enunciate, Leah repeated, "What do you want, Sam?"

"_You're a girl."_

"Brilliant," she replied sarcastically. Maybe he wasn't so wide awake....

"_No, I mean you understand girls, and maybe you can help me. I have girl problems,"_ he nearly begged.

Leah took pity on him. She had a sneaking suspicion what, or more specifically _who_ had prompted this. "Sam," she began teasingly, "this wouldn't have to do with Jules, would it?"

"_What?! No, what're you –"_

"Don't try to lie, Sam. Don't worry about it, I can keep my mouth shut."

"_Fine,"_ he said waspishly. _"How did you know, anyways?"_

"It's pretty obvious," she chuckled. "Plus, Jules said something to me."

"_What did she say?"_

"It's not important. What did you want my help on? That's why you called. At 6:30 am."

"_Sorry," _he said sheepishly. _"Well, after you guys left, I told Jules I loved her, and she said she loved me too. So... I guess I was wondering, do you think she was being honest, and what should I do next? I mean, things with her and Ryan haven't been over long."_

Hmm, it was time to come clean. Poor Sam, he was pretty clueless.

"Okay," she began, "first of all, for someone trained in profiling and people reading, you sure can be blind. Of course she was being honest! Next, things with her and Ryan have been over since the first date. I'm pretty sure she only agreed to go out with him to make you come to your senses, anyways."

"_What?!"_

"Water under the bridge, Sam, water under the bridge. It worked, anyways. So for now, I say full steam ahead." Leah said honestly.

"_What about the team?"_ he asked nervously. Leah guessed this was probably his main concern.

Propping herself up on one elbow, she answered the same way she had answered Jules not too long ago. "I've heard them saying they'd rather see you guys together than see you not speaking again," she started carefully. "But seeing as you want to start your relationship back up... Wait, that _is_ what you want, right?"

"_Yeah,"_ Sam clarified nervously.

"Well, when Jules is up to it, I'd talk to the Sarge about it," she said sagely. "From what I can tell, he wants to keep you together, but he would have to talk to the Commander about it."

She waited patiently for Sam to finish thinking things through. She desperately hoped things would work out; they had had enough drama between them to last a lifetime. They deserved something that was just plain good for once.

"_Okay, that sounds like a good idea,"_ he finally announced, sounding relieved.

"Great," Leah said happily, "So –"

"_Wait a second," _Sam interrupted her midsentence. _"The team _wants_ to see us back together? Are you sure?"_

"Yeah, definitely," she reassured him gently. "Spike thinks you were the cutest couple ever, and the Boss just wants you guys to be happy. Anyways, it's not like you guys did a great job hiding everything the first time around," she teased.

"_Yeah, the Sarge knew before Jules was shot, I think."_

"Actually, Spike, Lou, and Ed knew too, and Wordy had his suspicions," she corrected, amused.

"_Really?"_ asked Sam, dumbstruck.

"Oh yeah."

"_Oh,"_ he said sheepishly. _"Why didn't anyone say anything?"_

"I already told you why," she sighed. "Now, can I go back to bed? Visiting hours don't start for another three and a half hours, and I want to get more sleep before that."

"_Oh, right, sure. Thanks so much, Leah, you're a lifesaver."_

"No problem," she said, smiling. "Now, the next time you call me so early, there had better be a national security issue to deal with."

"_Alright, point taken,"_ he chuckled._ "See you later."_

"Bye," she said before hanging up.

And within minutes, she was fast asleep once more.

* * *

**TBC**

**Reviews are love :)**


	9. What Now?

**I accidently posted Chapter 8 twice, so this is the _real_ Chapter 9. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

Jules had been awake for about half an hour when Sam arrived. She was feeling much better than before. When she had first woken, one of the nurses had bustled over to check on her, and she had been moved from the ICU. There weren't any complications, so she was expected to be discharged in about a week, though she wouldn't be able to work for another month after that.

Pulling up a chair on her left, Sam plunked himself down beside Jules. "I talked to Leah this morning," he grinned.

Jules stared, nonplussed. "Good for you," she said, having no idea how this was important.

"It was very..._ insightful_," he said, his eyes trying to tell her something.

"Was it now?"

Sam rolled his eyes in exasperation. "So you broke up with Ryan after your first date?"

She blushed furiously, finally realizing what he was getting at. She glared at him, daring him to continue. He did.

"She also said you only dated him to make me _jealous_," he said, unable to keep the gloating note out of his voice.

"She didn't say that," stated Jules. She knew Leah well enough to know that she would have only revealed what was absolutely necessary.

"Well, not exactly," admitted Sam. "But I put two and two together. I _can_ add, you know."

"Could've fooled me," Jules smirked, trying to hide her mounting embarrassment. "So?"

"So, is it true?" Sam asked, his voice annoyingly superior.

"You'll never know," replied Jules loftily. "Is that the only reason you came by? To gloat?"

Sam widened his eyes, indignant. "Of course not!" he exclaimed.

He leaned over and pulled her face close to his, kissing her lips oh so softly. She shut her eyes, savouring every moment. Sam pulled away gently, running a thumb over her cheek gently as he did.

"We have to talk about this," he whispered in her ear.

Jules looked away, her eyes troubled. "I know. What happens when I can work again?"

Leah suggested we talk to the Boss. She said he wants to keep us together if he can. Are you up for it?"

She smiled uneasily, the uncertainty still clear in her eyes. "Whenever you are."

Sam sank back down into his chair, lost in thought. He was still like this a few minutes later when Ed and Wordy entered together, clutching a huge gift basket, several enormous foil balloons filled with helium, and a large stuffed bear, all of which they deposited on the bedside table, a pleased expression on each of their faces.

Sam's jaw dropped. Jules, however, took one look at the assortment, looked back at the new arrivals, and collapsed into hysterics. "I expected something like this from Spike, not you guys!" she giggled.

"Why not?" demanded Wordy proudly. "We have a side that's obsessed with shiny things that float, too."

Sam was eyeing the two men apprehensively, a mixture of shock and fright written on his face. His face combined with Ed and Wordy's satisfied expressions made Jules laugh even harder. She was still laughing when Greg, Leah, and Spike came in.

"Hi guys," Jules greeted them, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Something funny?" asked Greg.

"Hey, I was going to buy those!" Spike exclaimed indignantly, pointing a finger at the assortment of gifts, crestfallen.

"That's what," grinned Jules, looking Greg in the eyes. "They're from Ed and Wordy."

Greg nodded in understanding. "How're you feeling?" he asked, raising his voice to be heard over the mounting noise from Wordy and Spike's argument.

"A lot better, thanks," she smiled happily.

"So, do you like it?" Ed asked eagerly, sounding more like a twelve-year-old girl than a trained sniper.

"I love it," she said seriously while the rest of the team cracked up behind him.

They spent the better part of the morning with Jules, talking about just about everything. Team One told Jules how the call had ended, and Jules in turn told them that she would be back at work in about a month. They went on to discuss Wordy's problems with his girls, they wanted to watch Twilight, but he and Shelley were firmly set against it. Spike mentioned a possible new date, which immediately caught everyone's attention.

It was approaching lunch time, and the team was about to head down to the cafeteria and grab a bite to eat. The team was preparing to head down when Jules spoke up.

Swallowing uneasily, she addressed Greg. "Um, Boss? Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Leah smiled at her encouragingly before leaving the room. Ed, Spike, and Wordy followed soon after, thinking nothing of Jules' request. Moments later, Greg and Sam were the only two left at her bedside.

"Sam? Can you give us a minute?" Greg asked.

"Actually, Boss, he needs to be here too," Jules bit her lip uneasily. Even with Leah's reassurances, it was going to be tough to break the news to the Sarge.

Greg sank down into a chair on her right. Smiling kindly, he asked, "Alright, what's going on?"

Sam and Jules exchanged uncomfortable glances, each one trying to get the other to start the inevitable.

"Don't make me guess," Greg pushed them gently. "I can guarantee you don't want to hear them."

"Alright –" began Sam.

"I've got it, Sam," interrupted Jules. "Sarge, you know how Sam and I were dating not too long ago?"

He nodded in affirmation. He hoped they were going to say what he thought they would. Things just weren't the same when they were fighting their feelings for each other.

"Well, we're seeing each other again." Sam blurted out.

The two constables watched their Sargeant, waiting impatiently for his response.

"You want to see if there's any way that you guys can stay together and still be a part of the team, am I right?" he finally said, his face revealing nothing.

"Well, yeah," Jules mumbled sheepishly.

Sam watched his Sargeant hopefully. If all else failed, he would be willing to transfer teams, but he was hoping he wouldn't have to.

"I don't have a problem with it," Greg said after a pause. "Neither does the rest of the team, as long as you keep it professional and your work isn't affected. I'll have to talk to the Commander, though. I'm hoping he'll allow it, there have been a few exceptions to that rule in the past."

Sam and Jules' relief was etched clearly on their faces. Glancing at Sam, Jules asked, "Should we be there for that?"

Greg smiled at his constables, much like a father did when he was proud of his children.

"No. I'll ask him about not getting you a replacement, too Jules. We can handle a month with 6."

"Thanks Boss," Sam said, speaking for both of them. Jules seemed to be having a hard time finding her voice.

"No problem. Just out of curiosity, how long had this been going on?" he asked, pointing between them with raised eyebrows.

"Almost... 13 hours," Jules laughed, finally finding her voice.

"Thanks for letting me know right away," Greg smiled. "I'll talk to the Commander first thing tomorrow morning, and I'll let you know. I'm going to go grab a bite now, coming Sam?"

"Sure," answered the constable in question nonchalantly. "See you later Jules!"

"Bye guys," she replied, shutting her eyes to get more rest.

* * *

**TBC**

**I would appreciate it if you could take the time to Review :)**


	10. Second Thoughts

**Chapter 10 :)**

**Hopefully I'll be able to post Chapter 11 later tonight, fingers crossed :)**

* * *

True to his word, Greg arrived with Sam at the hospital at precisely 10 am. Peering into Jules' room through the curtains, they found her awake, so they entered quietly and sat down, one on either side of her.

She had been wide awake for a while, sleeping in had never really worked for her. Smiling in greeting, she asked, "So? How'd it go?"

"You get right down to business, don't you?" chuckled Greg. "Sam doesn't even know yet, I figured I'd tell you at the same time."

Jules fidgeted impatiently on her bed. "So?" she demanded, her tone telling him to spit out some answers. And fast.

"I spoke to the team yesterday, and you have their blessing, assuming work isn't affected. Spike was adamant about no public displays of affection, though."

Sam allowed himself a tense laugh. "Figures. That's good then. What did the Commander say?"

"He wants you to try staying together for about a month, but he would prefer it if one of you were transferred. If that works out, he had no objections. I _might_ have mentioned something about how he met his boyfriend, but only I'll know if that's true." Greg informed the triumphantly.

"Damn, Boss," laughed Sam. "You're good."

"Thank you, Constable Braddock."

"So," interjected Jules curiously, "do you need a replacement for me until I can work again?"

"Nope!" responded Greg enthusiastically.

Sam and Jules exchanged appeased glances. "That's good," said Sam.

"Yeah. The rest of the team is going to drop by in a few," he said as he left, leaving the happy couple to have some time to themselves.

As soon as Greg had shut the door behind him, Sam plunked himself down on the edge of Jules' bed. Leaning in close, he murmured, "Well, this is good news, isn't?" before capturing her lips in a gentle yet passionate embrace.

Jules responded fervently, running her hands through his hair. The kiss deepened to an emotional intensity that nearly short-circuited Jules' brain. Finally, desperate for air, they broke apart, breathless and flushed. Sighing softly, Jules blinked slowly before looking at Sam, the ghost of a smile etched on her face.

"Of course it is," she whispered. "And no temporary rookie this time."

Sam smiled down at her from his perch on the side of her bed, drinking in her image. "You ready to do this?"

"Of course," she smiled up at him.

Simultaneously, they leaned forwards and their lips met once more.

* * *

The rest of the week saw Sam nearly living at Jules' bedside. The rest of the team dropped in frequently since the Commander had given them a mandatory week off. They offered Jules well wishes and gave her their takes on her and Sam's rekindled relationship. It seemed that the only concern Team One had was public displays of affection – something they were planning on avoiding anyways. Slowly but surely, Jules was regaining her strength. By Wednesday, she was up and about, wandering around the hospital hallways with a teammate, usually Sam, trailing her anxiously.

As far as Jules was concerned, the day of her discharge couldn't come soon enough. Finally, Saturday arrived and she was released. She wasn't permitted to do any physical activity for at least three weeks, and after that she wasn't to go back to work for another week. Naturally, she wasn't thrilled about this, but she wasn't going to push herself and end up out for longer.

The team returned to work the Monday after Jules' discharge, and they only received a few calls before their Christmas holidays started. Sam still managed to spend uncountable hours with Jules; he had practically moved into her house. Their relationship was advancing smoothly. Over Christmas, they had spent a cozy afternoon at Jules' house before heading over to Ed's for a delicious Christmas dinner with the rest of the team.

Shortly after New Years, Team One returned to a regular work schedule. Jules was set to return to work in a week, so with Sam's help; she was spending most of her time getting back to her usual fitness level. She dropped by the station every few days, catching up with the team and finding a way to spend her time.

It was the night before Jules was scheduled to return to the SRU, and Sam was filled with anticipation. He missed seeing Jules around the station; somehow headquarters didn't feel right without her there.

It was one of the rare nights when Sam spent the night at his own house. He was slumped on a cushioned chair, a partially drunk bottle of beer resting on the coffee table and The Three Stooges prancing around his TV.

At nearly 9 pm, there was a knock on the door. Sauntering over, he opened it to reveal a troubled Jules, a jacket wrapped tightly around her waist and a girly toque perched lopsidedly on her head.

"Hey Jules," Sam said, slightly surprised. It was unusual for her to appear without calling, and she was looking distinctly perplexed. "Want to come in?"

"Sure," Jules mumbled, stepping over the threshold and into the heated warmth of his home.

Taking of her hat and jacket, she wandered over to the living room, an even more confused Sam following her.

Jules sat down on the couch, and Sam plopped himself down beside her. Her silence was unnerving him, so he asked, "Everything alright, Jules?"

He fidgeted anxiously when she looked down, studying her hands. He had just gotten her back; surely she hadn't changed her mind. Had she?

"Jules."

"I just... I don't know if I can keep doing this, Sam," she moaned desperately, her conflicted eyes finally meeting his.

Sam stopped short. No, no, no, no, _no_. This couldn't be happening.

"What?" he gasped, shocked.

"I don't think I can keep doing this," she repeated, her eyes pleading for his comprehension. "I know we have the Sarge and everyone else's permission, but I don't think I can handle it all anymore."

"So, what, you're breaking up with me?" Sam yelled, disbelieving hurt shining in his eyes.

"I don't know," Jules cried out, angry tears filling her eyes as she leapt to her feet. "I guess I am, Sam. I'm sorry."

With that, she left the room and headed to the front door. Finally unfreezing, Sam leapt up and followed her. When he reached the front door, her hat and coat were back on.

Grabbing her arm, he pleaded, "Jules –"

"Sam!" she interrupted. "Just stop, okay?" she said sadly, a tear breaking free from her eyes and slipping down her cheek.

Shocked, he let go of her arm and watched her leave in immobile silence. It was 10 minutes after her departure before he was able to move again.

Furious and frustrated, he slammed his fist into the wall while tears spilled freely down his face. He had handled things completely wrong. What the hell had just happened?

* * *

**TBC, hopefully tonight!**

**This didn't come out quite the way I wanted it to, but review anyways! :P**


	11. The Plan

**Yes, two chapters in one night! I'm very proud of myself.**

**Read, review, enjoy! :)**

* * *

Sam was still in a terrible mood when he arrived at work the next day. He couldn't believe things had gone so wrong, right after he had fixed things with Jules. He wished he knew what had given her cold feet at the last minute, but she hadn't told him and he was too proud to ask.

Storming into the station, he ignored Winnie's greeting completely, stalking past her without a word. Winnie watched him stomp over to the men's locker room, her mouth hanging open slightly. Greg had told her about Sam and Jules, and she was beginning to smell trouble. Jules had arrived 10 minutes ago, bearing the distinct marks of a sleepless night. She wanted things to work out between them almost as much as Team One did, so she scurried off to find the Sarge and let him know her thoughts.

Meanwhile, Sam had entered the locker room, where only Spike and Ed were left. Sam nodded curtly in response to Spike's enthusiastic greeting. Spike stopped short in surprise before shrugging at Ed and leaving the room.

Ed watched with concern as Sam opened his locker with unnecessary force. Eyes dark with anger, Sam began changing into workout clothing.

Something had to be done.

Clearing his throat, Ed asked, "Everything alright, Sam?"

Sam refused to make eye contact with Ed. He shut his locker with a little less force this time before answering. "I'm fine," he snapped.

Ed sighed. Why did the team have to be so damn stubborn all the time? Adopting a placating tone, he said, "Look, I can tell something's bothering you, and that will affect your performance. You need to tell someone what's going on, so who's it going to be? Me or the Boss?"

Sam whirled around, his eyes full of disbelief, hurt and confusion. "Jules pretty much dumped me last night. Again. And she won't give me a straight answer why. Happy?"

Ed reeled with shock. He had been sure that they were going to work out; sure they were in it for the long haul.

"I'm sorry Sam. Did she say anything about it at all?" he asked carefully, his mind already spinning with possible scenarios, each less likely than the next.

"Ed -"

"Sam. I just want to help, and keeping everything bottled up like this sure as hell isn't going to," Ed said, gentle and stern at the same time.

Sam exhaled in frustration, pacing around the room. Finally, he said, "She said she couldn't do it anymore, and that she was sorry. Then she just left."

Ed walked over and clasped Sam firmly on the shoulder, his sharp mind already formulating a plan. He had seen the way those two looked at each other, and there was no way he was letting them throw what they had away. Now after what they had done to get to this point.

"It'll be okay, buddy," he said sympathetically. "Trust me, okay?"

Sam's lips twisted into a grimacing sort of smile. "Okay. Thanks Ed."

Sam left the locker room stiffly, hiding his emotions behind a trained mask. As soon as the door had shut behind him, Ed whipped out his cell phone and sent a text message to Greg, Leah, Spike, and Wordy. They had some work to do.

* * *

Jules left the change room at the end of the shift. It had been a long one; the air had been thicker than cream cheese. Sam had been cold as ice, not that she could blame him. She supposed it was to be expected. After all the time and effort they had committed to make things work, they were back to where they had been three months ago. She hadn't wanted to end things the way she had, but she couldn't see it any other way. The closer her return day got, the more she had questioned her decision. In the end, Jules had decided that she couldn't make things work with Sam. She had to focus on her work, and she couldn't afford to get distracted by getting personal. For now, things were rough, but things would work out better in the long run. At least, that's what she told herself as she left for the night. It _had_ to work.

She almost believed herself.

About seven minutes after Jules left, Sam exited the men's locker room and walked out the front door of the station. He was so preoccupied that he didn't notice the small group gathered around the front desk.

That group consisted of Ed, Greg, Leah, Spike, Wordy, and Winnie. They were there because of Ed's message, except for Winnie. She had been a last minute addition, by Leah's suggestion.

"So," Ed began officially. "We all know that Sam and Jules broke up, correct?"

The team plus Winnie made various noises of assent.

"Personally, I think that was a mistake. Who agrees with me?" Ed asked, glancing at each person in turn.

"I have to agree," Greg stated. "They worked so hard to get here, and I can tell they're still in love, just from watching them for one day."

"I'm with the Boss," added Wordy.

"Me too," chorused Spike and Winnie.

"I do too," began Leah. "Jules looked tired this morning, and when I asked her about it, she said that she had ended things with Sam to stay focused on work. She seemed pretty upset, and considering everything with Ryan, I've got to say I was surprised."

"Sam said something along those lines too," voiced Ed. "Except he doesn't know why Jules ended things. I always thought they worked best together as a couple, that's why I never thought they looked real in the first place."

"You're right," agreed Wordy. "After they broke up the first time, they just didn't have the same chemistry. I wouldn't be surprised if this time it was worse. Plus, they're always less focused when they're trying to hide their feelings."

"What happened with Ryan, anyways?" asked Spike curiously. "I always felt like you and Jules were hiding something, Leah."

"She dumped him after the first date. She only went out with him to make Sam jealous."

"Wow, that's something I never expected from her," Greg stated, eyebrows raised in surprise. "She must really love him."

"Well, it worked pretty damn well," said Winnie. "But how're we going to get them back together?"

At this, she was met with silence; each team member was wracking their brains for a workable solution.

Spike was the first to try his luck. "We could lock them in the briefing room and not let them out until they make up?"

"I don't know," Ed said slowly. "They can be pretty stubborn."

"I don't think they'll make up without some convincing, either," shrugged Wordy.

After careful consideration, Winnie spoke up. "You guys could call a team meeting, and you could tell them all the reasons why they should be together. Maybe Jules doesn't know that she focuses better when she's with Sam. There's more, too...."

The rest of the team exchanged awestruck glances. It just might work.

"Winnie, you're a genius," Greg finally exclaimed. "Does everyone want to try that?"

They nodded enthusiastically.

"Okay, then we need to get planning," said Ed.

"Copy that," several voices replied.

* * *

**TBC**

**Don't worry guys, they'll solve their problems soon enough :)**

**Now, review? ;)**


	12. Rekindling The Flame

**Voila the SECOND TO LAST chapter, Chapter 12. Read, review, and enjoy everyone! :)**

**Thanks for all the reviews, etc. They are much appreciated. Keep 'em coming! :)**

**Now, go read!**

* * *

They had decided to put their plan in action the following day. Each person had a role, Winnie's was to get them into the briefing room, and the rest of the team's was to convince them to make things work out. They had worked out the little kinks before leaving last night. Each team member had a reason that they were to explain, and after they had all spoken they would leave Sam and Jules on their own, and watch the outcome from the security cameras. They were confident things would turn out well, mainly because of Leah and Winnie's insight about girls and relationships and Ed's thoughts on Sam's feelings. Now, it was up to Sam and Jules to stop beings idiots and listen to their hearts.

The next morning, Team One and Winnie arrived earlier than usual. Quickly going over the plan one last time, they found everything to be in order. Separating, they prepared for their shift.

Sam and Jules entered at the same time, but not together. Though they were walking side by side, neither was looking at the other. As they neared Winnie's desk, she called out, "Hey Sam, Jules. There's a team meeting in 10, just about everyone's already in the briefing room."

"Copy that," said Sam.

"Alright, thanks Winnie," Jules smiled stiffly.

"No problem," Winnie said airily. "See you later."

She watched carefully as they branched off to their respective locker rooms. Phase One was complete, commence Phase Two.

Less than 10 minutes later, Sam and Jules were seated in the briefing room, awaiting only Greg. At precisely 8 am, the door creaked open, and he came in, saluting the team as he sat down. Sam and Jules were oblivious to the electric feeling of anticipation in the air and the team's barely suppressed smiles.

Taking a seat, he began his announcement calmly. "Good morning ladies and gentlemen. As most of you know, this isn't a normal team meeting, it's more of an intervention," he finished, his eyes and the eyes of the rest of the team focusing on Sam and Jules.

Jules noticed this, and she folded her arms over her chest suspiciously. "What are you talking about, Sarge?" she asked coolly, a dangerous note creeping into her voice.

"This has to do with you and Sam," Ed said unabashedly.

Their faces settled into various depictions of exasperation. Rolling her eyes, Jules scoffed, "What happened happened. It doesn't have to do with you guys."

Sam pushed his chair back on two legs, a bored expression now playing across his face while Jules got to her feet and made her way to the briefing room door, not planning on wasting any more time with the team's interference.

"Sam, sit up. Jules, sit down," commanded Greg, his voice allowing no leeway for arguments. He waited for his order to be obeyed before he continued. "Actually, it does have to do with us. What affects you affects the team, and we need settle this once and for all. Wordy, would you like to start us off?"

Wordy nodded swiftly and swivelled his chair around, focused completely on Sam and Jules, who were looking unconvinced. "First of all, we all know why you broke up," he stated.

Sam glanced from one teammate to another, bewildered before opening his mouth to speak. "Except me, it would seem."

"Quiet Sam, we'll explain everything," ordered Ed quietly. Sam reluctantly closed his mouth again and gave Wordy his attention.

"As I was saying," continued Wordy, unperturbed, "Sam, we all know Jules ended things because she didn't want to be distracted at work."

Jules glared at Leah with narrowed eyes, who shrugged innocently.

"Well, that doesn't really work. You see, Jules, you always focus better when you're not worried about your relationship with Sam. Sam, the same goes for you. You always worked best when you were together, ask anyone here and they'll tell you."

Jules' expression was blank, but inside her mind was spinning. Was that true? All things considered, it probably was. She had been so worried about not getting personal that she hadn't realized how much that was distracting her. Shaking herself back to the present, she realized that Spike was speaking now.

"You guys really love each other, and the rules allow you to now. You guys have _got_ to put your pride aside and realized what a _gift_ this is. If you let this opportunity pass you by, you guys would have to be absolutely crazy," Spike told them earnestly, completely serious for once.

Sam's mind was racing. He could tell Jules was thinking about this, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to patch things up. He had been hurt enough by her already, and his dignity wasn't up for another beating right now.

Next, Ed put in his share. "After all you guys have gone through to get to this point, why would you just give it up? I never thought you looked like a real couple because you were able to keep it professional. You guys committed so much to get here, and we won't let you throw it all away. I truly believe that you can make this work."

They could tell their words were reaching Jules and Sam, they were just hoping that they would be willing to go the distance and fix their problems on their own.

Leah turned her seat so it faced them. When she spoke, her voice was full of sincerity and support. "I haven't known you as long as the rest of the team, but I do have this to say. Sam, you're a great friend and teammate. You called me at _6 am_ after Jules was shot to make things work. I don't know many guys who would go that far for a girl. Jules, I helped you start your crazy scheme three months ago. You've stuck with it for so long, and you were willing to move heaven and earth to make this thing work. So, make it work."

Last but not least, Greg threw in the final words. "Look, all we want is for you guys to be happy," he told them quietly. "You were happiest when you were together, so why don't you take the plunge? You have the SRU's blessing, so why don't you make the best of the rest of your lives? Lou would want that."

Their words left Sam and Jules sitting in a pensive silence. Knowing their work was done, the team filed out of the room, heading for the security monitors. Pausing before he left, Greg turned and said softly, "Think about it," before turning and closing the door noiselessly.

The team had long since gathered around the security cameras before the silence was broken. Sam and Jules had spent the past 10 minutes staring at each other thoughtfully, neither daring to show emotion. They didn't know what to say.

Finally, Jules broke the silence. "I'm sorry."

"What?" Sam asked quietly, watching her with unchanged coolness.

"I'm sorry," she repeated, her brown eyes meeting his blue ones sincerely. "I'm sorry I got cold feet, and I'm sorry I put you through hell these past three moths."

Team One plus Winnie watched the cameras with baited breath, waiting for Sam's response. His face gave away nothing.

Since he still wasn't answering, Jules continued, "I guess I was just scared about doing this. I mean, I've spent my whole life getting here and following these rules, and I didn't want to let the team down. I know it's not an excuse, but it's my reason."

At this, Sam's stoic manner finally dropped. After a moment's pause, he answered.

"No, I get it," he said honestly. "I wasn't going to forgive you today, but I know now why I should. I know where you're coming from, that's why I was such an ass three months ago. I was scared, too."

Jules' face melted into a pretty smile. "I think I knew that all along," she whispered.

"Really?" Sam asked, surprised.

"Really. So, are we going to do this right this time?" she murmured playfully, sliding closer to him.

Sam watched her approach, the want becoming harder and harder for him to hide.

Finally, unable to hold himself still any longer, he reached out and pulled her up against his chest, his face mere inches from hers. "Oh yeah," he rumbled, his voice low.

Jules paused, her hands resting between his chest and shoulders. "They're watching us, aren't they?"

Sam laughed quietly. "Better hope Spike isn't looking, then."

And he closed the gap between her face and his, sweeping her away in a passionate kiss. For them, time slowed to a stop as they lost themselves in each other's hair, their lips, their hands, the feel of their bodies pressed together. Sam had his arms wrapped around Jules' waist, and she had slid her hands up over his chest, leaving one draped around the back of his next, the other toying with his hair. Their mouths played heated games with one another, their tongues exploring the insides of each other's mouths. After what could have been anywhere from an eternity to under two minutes, they broke apart, knowing that finally, things were okay again. Jules rested her head against Sam's chest, breathing in his familiar scent peacefully while Sam held her close with one arm, the other gently stroking her back.

All of Team One, even Spike, looked on joyfully. Finally, things were right again. Spike was looking around the room happily when something caught his eye. Pointing at Greg in disbelief, he yelled, "Sarge! Are you _crying_?"

This caught everyone's attention, and they broke off from whatever they were doing to gape at Greg. Indeed he was, his eyes were filled with happy tears, a few of them already sliding down his face. Seeing the whole group eyeing him strangely, he choked out, "No. No, it's just... my allergies."

Their expressions didn't change.

"Boss?" Ed questioned teasingly.

"Alright, alright," sniffed Greg, wiping his eyes carefully. "I am. It was a very touching moment, okay?"

"Just like in Lady In Waiting, right?" Wordy crowed triumphantly, grinning broadly at everyone near him.

Laughing, a joyful Team One made their way down to the briefing room to congratulate Sam and Jules. It was a happy time, filled with hugs, laughs, jokes, and even a few tears. Team One was whole again, and with that they prepared themselves for another day of keeping the peace.

Sam and Jules had never felt so at home. Here, surrounded by family, together, _that _was where they belonged.

* * *

**LA FIN**

**(Sort of). The final chapter will be the epilogue, coming soon. Until next time ;)**


	13. Epilogue

**I would have totally posted this sooner, but due to some unforseen comlpications with my iPod I had to put this on hold. I somehow managed to delete my entire library and music on my iPod. Yes, congrats me. So I spent the past two days redownloading all four hundred and forty freaking one of them, and adding album art and such. I spent about 10 hours doing this... Curse you, Apple!**

**Disclaimer: You know the drill. I own only my imagination, and sometimes I lose control of even it.**

**I have about 3 or 4 oneshot ideas bouncing around, so I'll be posting those soon. I just have to write them...**

**Enjoy the Epilogue!**

**

* * *

**

The month allotted by Commander Holleran passed quickly and smoothly. The rekindled relationship between Sam and Jules only affected their work for the better. There was no doubt in anyone's heart that Team One was once again a family. At the end of the Commander's "trial" time, he had curtly notified them that they had permission to remain on the same team and still be a couple, and they had his blessing.

Overjoyed, Team One met after shift for a celebratory dinner, and maybe a few drinks too. It was a night no one would forget, especially Sam and Jules. It was one of the best memories they would have with the entire team.

Late that night, Sam and Jules returned to her house, ready to celebrate in private. They barely made it through the front door before their lips were pressed together and their arms were wrapped around each other's body. Barely any time passed before they were stumbling haphazardly to Jules' bedroom.

Later, finished with their "celebrating", Sam and Jules lay exhausted on her bed, wrapped in each other's embrace. Pulling her closer and running his hands gently over her skin, he whispered in her ear, "I love you so much, Jules."

Closing her eyes contentedly, Jules snuggled up into his chest, warmer and safer than she could ever remember being. Sighing softly, she said, "I love you too, Sam."

Truer words have yet to be spoken.

* * *

Six months to that day, Sam and Jules were out on a date at Island Foods. They were seated at a secluded booth in a dimly lit corner of the room. Jules was enjoying her favourite chicken parmesan while Sam was toying with a steak of salmon and mashed potatoes. He seemed more distracted than usual, and kept fiddling around with his jacket pocket.

Picking up on this, Jules finally asked, "What's up, Sam?"

He jumped and looked up, not at all his usual confident self. Sucking in a deep breath before continuing, he asked shakily, "Can I ask you something, Jules?"

Confused, Jules nodded. Suspicion was slowly building in her mind.

Sam got up from his seat across from her, and slowly he made his way around the table until he was standing right in front of her. Slowly dropping down to one knee, he opened his mouth.

"Jules, I've loved you for so long now, and I can't imagine my life without you in it. I love you more than life itself, so, Julianna Callaghan, will you do me the incredible honour of becoming my wife?" he asked quietly, all his love for her and hope for the future echoing in those simple words and shining out of his eyes. He pulled out a small, black velvet box and opened it to reveal an absolutely stunning diamond ring.

Breathless, all Jules could do for a solid 10 seconds was stare in amazement. Then, finally finding her voice, she answered, "Y-yes, Sam. I'd love to be your wife, more than you'll ever know."

Gently, Sam took the ring from the open box and slid it onto her finger. Then, he pulled himself up, bringing her with him and kissed her lips softly, sealing the deal.

Their wedding was a joyful one. It was relatively small and simple, but it suited them perfectly. Jules' father and brothers had flown in, as well as Sam's parents. The sun was shining brightly for the outdoor ceremony, and Sam and Jules' spirits were soaring. It was the day they had been unconsciously yearning for since they had met, and it was now a reality. Jules looked beautiful, and Sam looked handsome. It had been the wedding of their dreams, only better.

* * *

Five years to the day of Team One's much needed intervention, Sam was awoken early Saturday morning by the sound of tiny feet pounding across the floor and a small voice yelling for his attention.

"Mommy, Daddy, Mommy, Daddy! Wake up, wake up!" the girl whined loudly.

There was no way he could deny that voice. Unwrapping his arms from around Jules, he blinked down at the face of his nearly three-year-old daughter. On his left, Jules sat up and rubbed her eyes groggily before turning her attention to the small girl as well.

"What's up, Katie?" she asked.

Katie, the little girl, was the spitting image of her mother. Her big brown eyes were widened earnestly, and there was a messy mop of brown hair piled on her head. Her round, angelic face was full of innocence. Sam had never before realized how much love it was possible to feel for one small child, but all he knew was that he'd move heaven and earth for his daughter.

"I'm hungwee! And Andy's awake," Katie informed them plaintively.

"Alright, sweetheart. We'll get you some breakfast," he said gently.

She brightened up at once. "Okay," she yelled happily before turning and running to the kitchen.

"You check on Andy, I'll feed Katie," Sam suggested. Andy was their son of ten months. He had inherited Sam's eyes and nose, but otherwise he was all Jules. Sam didn't mind, he loved seeing mini Jules running around the house.

"All right," Jules agreed, pulling herself out of bed and giving him a quick kiss. "The team's coming for dinner at 5, don't forget."

"Right. Spike's bringing his girlfriend, Leah's bringing her fiancée, Ed and Wordy are bringing their families and Greg is bringing Sylvia, right?"

"Yeah," Jules threw over her shoulder, making her way to the nursery.

Sam rolled out of bed and wandered over to the kitchen, stopping suddenly as he passed the hall mirror. Looking more closely at his reflection, he noticed a change in his appearance. The tension and worry he had grown accustomed to seeing in his face was finally gone, replaced by a look of contentment and peace. It was a welcome change. He looked on in wonder before shaking his head in amazement. That was the change his family had had on him.

It was strange how these things had come to be, he thought. He would never have been here if he hadn't been discharged from Kandahar, and he would have never married Jules without the team's help. Though he wished he could have changed some events in his past, he wouldn't change the present for anything in the world.

* * *

**FIN**

**Thanks for reading! Leave me one last review? Please? ;)**


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